I'm looking at buying this Escape but while.

ANONYMOUS

MEMBER
2008 FORD ESCAPE
44,150 MILES

I'm looking at buying this escape but while driving through a quiet neighborhood, with no music, no AC, going about 25-30mph I heard a very very quiet scratching sound. Almost like needles dropped on a metal sheet or radio static. But it only lasted for 1 second. Then went away, you pus gas petal lightly a certain way and it sounds again. It's very quiet. I'm worried about buying the car with a potential problem now that's going to get huge in like 15k more miles. My old car (03 Altima) had the exact same sound. You push gas a certain pressure (45mph usually) and it sounded like a marble in a pill jar shaking but lasted longer. My car was a useless wreck but this sound was very loud (escape is very very quiet but sounds just like it). So, I just want to know what the sound is, if it's a problem and if it's going to turn super loud like my car was.

1 Reply

CARADIODOC

MECHANIC
33,873 POSTS

The noises you described so far are normal and are due to friction and rotating parts. Any car will make those noises but they're easier to hear on newer cars because they are much quieter in terms of engine noise, road noise, and wind noise. You are likely hearing the rotation of the engine belt or the rubbing of the brake pads on the rotors because there's no other noises to mask that as in the past. The noises you must worry about are knocking and clunking over bumpy roads. That is a sign of worn steering and suspension parts. Ford has much more trouble with those parts separating leading to loss of control and crashes than all other manufacturers combined. Have those systems inspected at a tire and alignment shop before you buy the car and again at least once per year and as soon as you hear those kinds of noises.